Name that Habitat
What is a habitat?
A place where an organism lives and gets what it needs to survive.
What do we call land where water covers the ground or keeps the soil very wet?
A wetland.
Which belongs in the Atlantic Ocean: a dolphin or a rabbit?
A dolphin.
Name four basic things animals need from their habitats.
Food, water, shelter, and space.
Which soil feels gritty: sand or clay?
Sand
Which Georgia region is known for rolling hills: the Piedmont or the coast?
The Piedmont.
Which usually has more trees: a swamp or a marsh?
A swamp. Marshes are mainly covered with grasses and other nonwoody plants.
Which plant is better suited to a swamp: a bald cypress tree or a desert cactus?
A bald cypress tree.
A duck has webbed feet. How do they help it survive?
They help it paddle and swim through water.
Which soil usually feels sticky when wet: sand or clay?
Clay
You see high elevations, steep slopes, and forests. Which habitat are you exploring?
A mountain habitat.
An alligator rests beside slow-moving freshwater and wetland plants. Name a suitable habitat.
A freshwater swamp or marsh.
Sea oats grow on coastal sand dunes. How can their roots help the dunes?
Their roots help hold the sand in place and reduce erosion.
A rabbit’s brown fur blends into its surroundings. How does this help it?
Camouflage makes it harder for predators to see the rabbit.
Water usually drains faster through sand or clay?
Sand
How is the coast different from the Atlantic Ocean?
The coast is land along the ocean’s edge. The Atlantic Ocean is the large body of salt water.
A marsh near the ocean receives salty water with the tides. Is it a salt marsh or a freshwater marsh?
A salt marsh.
A deer lives in a Piedmont forest. Could deer also live in another Georgia region? Explain.
Yes. Animals can live in more than one region if suitable food, water, shelter, and space are available.
A shorebird has a long beak that reaches into mud. How might this help it get food?
It can reach small animals hidden in the mud.
Why is loam often good for growing plants?
It holds some water and nutrients while allowing excess water to drain and air to reach roots.
Is every place in the Coastal Plain a beach? Explain.
No. The Coastal Plain also includes forests, rivers, farmland, and wetlands
A wetland is drained to build houses. Explain two ways this could affect animals living there.
They could lose food, water, shelter, or places to raise young. Accept any two explained effects.
Why would a dolphin survive in the ocean but not in a mountain forest? Give two reasons.
It needs an aquatic habitat to swim and ocean prey to eat. A forest cannot meet those needs.
A pond dries up. A student says, “The frogs will be fine because they can hop.” What important need is the student overlooking?
Frogs still need water or moist conditions, and many need water for their eggs and tadpoles. Hopping does not replace those needs.
You want to compare how much water sand and clay retain. What should you keep the same to make the test fair?
Use the same amount of soil, the same amount of water, matching containers, and the same drainage time.